We are requesting support for basic science graduate students, medical students, residents and postdoctoral fellows to participate in the 26th annual National Neurotrauma Symposium to be held July 27-30, 2008 in Orlando (Lake Buena Vista), Florida. The National Neurotrauma Symposium is the primary forum for the presentation of current research on the pathophysiology and treatment of central nervous system injury (spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury). The symposium this year is being co-sponsored and organized by the National Neurotrauma Society and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Joint Section on Neurotrauma & Critical Care. The Specific Aims of the symposium are: 1. To provide a forum for the presentation, discussion and feedback regarding the most recent findings in Neurotrauma research and to encourage interaction between junior and senior investigators in the field. 2. To encourage the participation and education of students studying in the field of Neurotrauma. The Symposium fosters student participation through large poster sessions, student oral open communication sessions, student poster competition, social mixers, student travel awards, and subsidized student registration fees. 3. To make the meeting more relevant to clinical neurotrauma researchers, to increase the real world neurotrauma knowledge base for basic neurotrauma scientists and thereby enhance basic-clinical interactions and translationally-focused two way collaboration ("Bench to Bedside" and "Bedside to Bench"). 4. To continue to encourage the involvement and advancement of women, minority groups, and persons with disabilities in Neurotrauma research. The Symposium is the forum for scientific and social activities hosted by Women in Neurotrauma Research, the professional society for women in clinical and laboratory Neurotrauma research. 5. To have relevant and thought-provoking presentations by researchers not directly involved in Neurotrauma research. The goal is to foster new ideas and ways of thinking into mainstream Neurotrauma as well as to encourage scientist from other disciplines to engage in Neurotrauma research. The program for the 2008 symposium will feature 38 invited speakers, 12 oral presentations by selected student/postdoctoral abstracts, 4 poster sessions (two SCI, two TBI) with a total of 350 posters and a student poster competition. The symposium will foster basic and translational neurotrauma research that will lead to new techniques for the treatment of patients afflicted with brain and spinal cord injury. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The direct relevance of this project to the public health rests in the exchange of new ideas and debate generated regarding advancing laboratory findings into clinical practice. Students, basic scientists, clinician scientists and practicing clinicians come together to present and discuss their latest discoveries and advancements in the filed of Neurotrauma. Particular efforts are made to actively engage students to participate and interact with leading basic and clinical scientists. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]